You may have read the news that incoming San Jose Councilman Manh Nguyen demanded and obtained an apology from the city clerk’s office for giving him bad advice that led to the city’s ethics commission slapping him with a $10,000 fine.

I admire the man’s gumption. A calendar of deadlines given to candidates contained an error, and Nguyen filed 99 campaign contribution forms after the deadline. Now the Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating.

But Nguyen ought to be demanding apologies from a few other people too. As a new councilman, it’s useful to carry proof that someone else caused your political misfortunes. Here’s a list of folks who should apologize to San Jose’s most recent honorable:

KANSEN CHU — Yes, Nguyen’s immediate predecessor ought to say he’s sorry. By getting elected to the Assembly midway through his council term, Chu forced Nguyen to run for re-election to his seat in 2016. Two elections in two years endangers good health.

MERCURY NEWS — Mercury News reporter Ramona Giwargis reported Nguyen was fined by the ethics commission. Why is that news? This kind of invasive reporting passes for journalism today. Giwargis should grovel in front of City Hall.

ROLANDA PIERRE DIXON — The former Santa Clara County prosecutor, a member of the city’s ethics commission, pushed aggressively to fine Nguyen. It might be that she uses the term “esq.” after her name and is vigilant about anyone else using it. Whatever, she should beg a pardon for her behavior.

NGUYEN LUONG — In a campaign mailer paid for by the Nguyen campaign, Luong referred to Nguyen as a “jurist and law expert” in Vietnamese. In a radio ad on Nguyen’s station, Luong called him an attorney. Neither is precisely true. Luong should recant.

THE STATE BAR ASSOCIATION — The confusion about whether Nguyen is a lawyer could have been taken care of if the bar association had not flunked him when he sat for the bar exam years ago. Why so picky? A formal apology is in order.

CITY ATTORNEY RICK DOYLE — After sitting down and meeting with Manh Nguyen, the city attorney had the gall to suggest to a reporter that Nguyen might not get his apology from the clerk’s office. For such a misstatement, Doyle needs to crawl in shame across the rotunda.

VOICE MAIL — Time was you could reach Nguyen on his cellphone. He might even call you back. Now, strangely, his voice mail has ceased working. It says the customer isn’t accepting messages. Clearly, technology has failed him.

MANH NGUYEN — It’s sad but inescapable: Manh Nguyen needs to apologize to himself. He needs to apologize for being too cheap to hire a treasurer or someone who understood the rules. He needs to apologize for blaming everyone else for his problems. How to do it? I’d suggest a letter from “M. Nguyen” to “Councilman Manh Nguyen.” Since he has multiple addresses, the letterhead shouldn’t be a problem. Welcome to City Hall, Mr. Nguyen.

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